Graduates should brush up on basic skills

Graduates should consider brushing up on their basic skills whilst applying for jobs, as some employers have expressed “concern” at the basic skills levels of some younger applicants.

That’s according to the annual Education & Skills Survey 2011, undertaken by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Education Development International (EDI).

It found that basic employability skills (such as a good grasp of the English language and numeracy) are the “single most important consideration” for some 82 per cent of employers. This was followed by the subject of their degree and appropriate work experience.

Furthermore, 70 per cent of employers across the UK said they believe graduates should do more to ensure they can operate effectively within the workplace.

This may encourage graduates hunting for market research jobs or any other type of role to spend some time perfecting their basic skills. This could increase their employability, as the statistics confirm.

A spokesperson for CBI, director-general John Cridland, spoke out about the findings. He claimed: “Employability skills are crucial to making the smooth transition from education to the workplace, but companies are finding that [some] lack many of these essential competencies.”

“Companies do not expect them [schools and universities] to produce ‘job-ready’ young people, but having a solid foundation in basic skills…is fundamental for work,” he added in The Guardian.